Overshoe with elastic vamp closure



y 22, 1951 1.. B. NELSON 2,554,376

OVERSHOE WITH ELASTIC VAMP CLOSURE Filed April 7, 1949 LETTIE B. NELSON m g wgamd Patented May 22, 1951 2.554.376 OVERSHOE WITH-ELASTIC VAMP CLOSURE Lettie B. Nelson, Minneapolis, Minn.

Application April 7, 1949, Serial No. 85,955

My invention relates to improvements in outer footwear especially for ladies.

In urban centers subjected to weather varying sharply in temperature and accompanied with snow, slush and rain, there is an unsatisfied need for an all-purpose overshoe for wear by ladies who are alternately exposed to the elements and sheltered in cars, buildings and the like.

An overshoe constructed to meet such need satisfactorily should be relatively high and of me-- dium weight. It should be comfortable to wear and free from binding the foot. It should not cause the foot to be overheated. Furthermore, such an overshoe should be capable of being put on with ease, even over an abnormally high in step or over a shoe bedecked with a bow, buckle or other ornament. Likewise it should be capable of being readily removed from a plain or bedecked inner shoe and, in case of the latter, without injury to the ornament thereon.

An object of my invention is to provide an article of outer footwear of the instant nature capable of efficient and economical production from materials and by methods conventionally employed in the manufacture of such articles, and

at the same time to provide a construction in such articles that will meet the needs above noted.

Other objects of the invention reside in the novel combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter illustrated and/or described.

According to the present invention, the construction contemplated embodies an overshoe having sole and heel portions and an upper having the usual opening at the top thereof. The upper includes a toe portion, a vamp, a counter and sides, the counter being upwardly extended at the rear thereof to provide a splash-guard for the back of the leg. The sides of the upper define a relatively high and wide front opening communicating with said top opening and extending down to the vamp to leave the wearers instep uncovered. An ankle strap having connections at its ends with the opposite sides of the upper at points substantially at the level of the base of said splash-guard hold the top of the upper about the leg, one of said strap connections being detachable to free an end of the strap from its respective side of the upper. The vamp is divided centrally thereof, a slit being formed therein which extends downwardly therethrough from said front opening to the toe portion of the upper. Underlying the division or slit in said vamp is a closure the same consisting of two elastic 2 Claims. (Cl. 36--'7.3)

closure-strips extending edge-to-edge longitudinally of the vamp with their inner' edges juxtaposed in registry with said slit in said vamp. These closure-strips are fastened along their outer edges to the opposite portions of the divided vamp. Slide-fastener stringers applied to the inner edges of the closure-strips cooperate with a fastener slide which is accessible through the slit strips together completing the closure across'the division in the vamp.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an overshoe constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view thereof, portions of the slitted vamp being broken away to disclose parts of the underlying closure element, and Fig. 3 is a sectional view in detail taken as on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Reference being had to said drawings, it will be seen that the embodiment of my invention illustrated therein includes a sole l0 anda heel ll of the pocket type to accommodate the high heels of shoes commonly worn by ladies whow ill find the present overshoe adapted to'their particular needs. Formed in conjunction with said sole l0 and heel II is a relatively high upper A consisting of a toe portion l2, vamp I3 sides l4 and counter I5. Upstanding from said counter I5 is a splash-guard l5 for protection'of the back of the wearers leg. The upper A has the usual top opening I 6. The sides [4 along their free edges at the forward portions thereof define a relatively high and wide front opening ,l! which communicates with said top opening [6 and extends down to the vamp l3. This front opening ll, as will be readily comprehended, ex-

poses the instep of a wearers foot. At the top of said front opening I1 is an ankle strap l8 which is preferably integrally connected with the upper portion of one side [4 of the upper A. The other or free end of said strap I8 is fittedwith a series of female snap-fastener members [9 which are selectively applicable to a male fastener member 2 l l secured to the upper portion of the other. side of said upper A. The strap !8 occupies ,a posi tion horizontally at substantially the level of the base of the splash-guard l5 and it releasably holds the top of the upper A proper and the splash-guard I5 snugly about the leg.

The vamp [3 has a central longitudinal slit 2| therein extending from its upper edge to the toe portion I2, which slit together with the frontopening l1 and top opening l8 open the upper A almost entirely from back to front thereof, thereby enabling an inner shoe to be freely inserted. into the overshoe even though it may have thereon a bow, buckle or other ornament. A closure element B is provided to span the slit 2| in said vamp l3 and hold together the divided portions of the vamp. Said closure B underlies the upper portion of the vamp l3 and comprises two closure-strips 22 of elastic material arranged edgeto-edge and extending longitudinally of the vamp l3 with their inner juxtaposed edges paralleling the slit 2| in said vamp i3. These closure-strips 22 are vulcanized or otherwise suitably secured along their outer edges to the opposite portions of the slitted vamp I3, as at 23.

Secured to said inner juxtaposed edges of the closure-strips 22 are stringers 24 of a conventional slide fastener C which includes a fastener slide 25 cooperating front thereof, a user may insert her inner shoe into the overshoe with ease nothwithstanding that she may have an abnormally high instep or that her inner shoe is fitted with a bow, buckle or other ornament. Upward movement imparted to the fastener slide 25 along the closure-strips 22 effects the joinder thereof completing the closure B across the slit 2| in the vamp i3. Said closure-strips 22 being ,of elastic material, the closure B Will stretch to accommodate a high instep or shoe ornament. The upper portion of the vamp i3 is so formed that the marginal portions thereof at either side of the slit 2| have a resiliency causing them to hug or bear snugly at their edges against the closure B. This feature lends to the overshoe a trim appearance particularly when the vamp I3 is divided merely by a slit.

In constructing the instant article, materials will be used which are well known in the art and which will render the article waterproof or at least water resistant to keep the inner shoe dry.

From the foregoing, it will be understood that I have provided an efficicntly protective article I of outer footwear which may be easily put on, comfortably Worn, and easily removed, even though the user has a high instep and/or is wearing an inner shoe fitted with a bulky ornament, which considerations favorably adapt the article for wear particularly by ladies who are subjected to weather conditions often varying by thematter of;.minutes and involving snow, slush or rain andcorrespondingly extreme temperatures,

Changes in the specific form of my invention, as herein described, may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the lspirit of 'my invention.

' Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is: 1. An overshoe including an upper consisting of a toe portion, a vamp, a counter and sides defining a relatively Wide opening extending from the counter to the vamp to expose the instep of the wearer, said vamp being centrally slit downwardly from said opening to said toe portion, a closure comprising two coextensively disposed closure-strips underlying and extending longitudinally of the vamp with their inner edges paralleling and oppositely spaced outwardly from said slit in said vamp, the outer edges of said closure-strips being secured to the vamp, slide fastener stringers secured to the inner edges of the closure-strips, a fastener slide cooperating with said stringers and accessible through said slit in said vamp, said fastener slide being slidable to join said closure-strips and close the vamp or to separate said closure-strips and open the vamp in continuation of said opening, said closurestrips being elastic to enable the closure to stretch transversely in accommodation of footwear worn within the overshoe, the marginal portions of the vamp at either side of said slit being resilient and formed to cause them to bear against'and hug said closure at their edges along said slit. 1

2. An overshoe including an upper consisting of a toe portion, a vamp, a counter and sides defining an opening extending from the counter to the vamp to expose the instep of the wearer, said vamp being divided along a course of division extending from said opening to said toe portion, a closure comprising two coextensively disposed closure-strips underlying and extending longitudinally of the vamp with their inner edges generally paralleling adjacently the course of division of said vamp the outer edges of said closurestrips being secured to the vamp, slide-fastener means carried by said closure-strips at said inner edges thereof, said means including a fastener slide accessible at and slidable along the course of division of said vamp to join said closure-strips and close the vamp or to separate said closurestrips and open the vamp in continuation of said opening, at least one of said closure strips being elastic to enable the closure to stretch transversely in accommodation of footwear worn within the shoe, at least one of the marginal portions .of the divided vamp along the course of division thereof being resilient and formed to cause it to bear against and hug the closure.

LETTIE B. NELSON.

REFERENCES CITED 1 The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name 'Date 368,479 MacIlVaine Aug. 16, 1887 578,245 Forbes Feb. 21, 1888 559,044 Saunders Apr. 28, 1896 708,547 Hamilton Sept. 9, 1902 1,339,994 Westling May 11, 1920 1,632,064 Gammeter June 14, 1927 1,799,210 Blaskopf Apr. 7, 1931 1,958,107 Merrill May 8, 1934 2,068,500 Marinslzy Jan. 19, 1937 2,215,880 Lasley Sept. 24, 1940 2,427,229 Riley Sept. 9, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS 'Number Country Date 441,092 Great Britain Jan. 13, 1936 

